Star Tracer
by Avistone
Summary: Now back on the Enterprise and finally free of Sylar's grasp for the first time Kira has a lot to learn about life and about love. Sequel to Stargazer. Bones/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry it took me so long to get this started. I decided since I finished Stargazer that I'd take the rest of the week off (Also, I spent the weekend attending Animix and peddling some of my wares)! **

**For those of you who are new this is a sequel to Stargazer, so you might want to read that first. Thanks!**

Chapter 1

---Kira---

Bleary-eyed, I stared up at the ceiling through the darkness as my mind tried to determine where I was. As the haze that covered my mind began to clear I began to recognize my surroundings; I was in my quarters. They had assigned me this room after I had been released from sick bay, and days later I was still trying to adjust to my new surroundings.

Not sure what had woken me I turned my head to the side and I saw the green glow of a digital clock glaring into my face; it was already 11- I had overslept.

_Ugg. Why am I so tired?_

When I closed my eyes again I heard the whoosh of the door opening and the soft thump of Starfleet issued boots padding across the carpet.

The lights flicked on.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" I looked up to see Bones towering above me.

I scrunched my nose at him and confided, "It's gloriously soft… so soft that I just can't seem to sleep on that thing."

I wiped some grit from my eyes and sat up. "What are you doing in my room anyways? Isn't it considered rude to just barge into a person's quarters without knocking first?"

"I rang, but you didn't answer. So, considering you are an hour late for your appointment I decided to take matters into my own hands. Now if you would…" Frowning, he nodded his head towards the bed and extended a hand to help me up.

I accepted his outstretched hand and with an easy tug he hefted me up off of the floor.

As I settled on to the edge of the bed he pulled out his tricorder. I could hear its soft hum as he turned it on.

"I thought you didn't make house calls."

"I don't." His frown deepened, "if someone would bother to show up for her scheduled check ups I wouldn't have to."

I huffed impatiently at him. "That's because there is nothing to "check up." I've had far worse than a couple of bruises… I'm fine."

"You're a giant walking bruise, and you are not fine." He argued back and poked at my arm roughly. "See!"

I swore softly and clenched my eyes shut. "You make a painful point. How you ever managed to become a doctor escapes me."

He smirked a bit in response and continued on with his examination. After a while the silence began to pull heavily at my eyes as my body demanded more sleep.

"I didn't mean to miss today," I apologized. "I overslept. I'm just so tired all the time lately."

He looked at his tricorder one last time before stowing it away.

"It's normal," he explained. "I was able to fix the major problems, but I'm afraid there is no cure for bruises besides good old fashion time and patience. Your body is working overtime to heal itself, so all of your energy is focused on that rather than elsewhere. Don't push yourself if you are tired, you need all the sleep you can get."

"But I don't want to sleep… not really. Scotty promised me a tour of the ship."

He chuckled softly, "There will be plenty of time for that. We won't make it to earth for at least a week. I'm sure you'll be feeling up to a tour by then."

I hesitated a bit before asking, "… So we are headed to earth then?"

"We have a few quick stops before then, but yes."

I stared down at my hands intently, my hair slipping down in front of my eyes, and picked nervously at my finger nails.

"What's going to happen when we get there?"

It was not the question I wanted to ask, but the only one I had the courage to put into words. What I really wanted to ask was 'what is going to happen to _me_ when we get there?' but the question was too close to my heart for me to feel comfortable asking it- even of him.

He looked at me consideringly for a moment before he answered. "I don't really know any specifics," he explained.

"Sylar and his men will have to go on trial… you will have to be there too. Jim wants you to testify against them."

"I don't think it will mean much coming from me. "

"You helped us escape, even at your own personal risk, it means a lot. Besides, Jim is not going to let anything bad happen to you… none of us are."

I smiled a slight wisp of a smile at him, not really believing. I think he realized my disbelief because his brow furrowed as he pursed his lips.

Surprisingly, he reached out and pushed my hair back behind my right ear. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the gesture; perhaps he was merely trying to comfort me.

Coming to the Enterprise I had been exposed to more human contact than I was used to, and I certainly couldn't remember the last time someone had tried to comfort me. It was strange, but oddly enough I did feel reassured.

My cheek still tingled warmly where he had touched.

He shifted uncomfortably, "Anyways, you're fine."

"I told you so."

"Heh. And I'm the doctor, so I'll be the one doing the telling."

He stood there a moment with his arms hanging at his side; then, finally, he moved towards the door. "You should get some more rest. Doctor's orders."

"Yes, sir." I saluted with a wry look on my face.

Then he turned and left me to myself and the silence of my room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

---Bones---

I pushed the PADD away from me and rubbed at my eyes. I had been staring at the darn thing for over an hour and yet I hadn't gotten a thing done.

_Who reads the stupid paperwork anyway?_

I look towards the door as I hear the buzz announcing the person waiting behind it.

"Enter"

The door whooshed open and in strode Spock in all his Vulcan glory.

_Oh Joy!_ I thought sarcastically.

He stopped in front of my desk standing tall and looking, as usual, all business.

"Well if it isn't Spock. What brings you down to my neck of the woods?"

He raised an eyebrow at the saying, but obviously thought better of commenting on it; instead he held out his PADD to me.

Taking it from him I asked, "What is this?"

"If you would, Doctor, I have been attempting to pull up the records for our guest, Miss Watson. It has proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I believe I have finally found something. I thought you might like a chance to look over my findings."

I began to scroll through the contents of the PADD. The first thing that caught my eye was the large picture at the top. Staring back at me was the smiling face of a little 7-year-old girl; her smile was proudly sporting a missing tooth -front and center- and her cheeks still held their childhood pudginess. Her hair was long and straight and she had large shining brown eyes to match; all in all she was a cute little girl.

Underneath the picture was a small label:

Kira Marie Watson  
Daughter of John D. Watson and Lily A. Watson  
Deceased

"Deceased?" I asked incredulously. "Spock, if this is true than she should be dead. Do you think she lied to us?"

"As a matter of fact, Doctor, no I do not. This is just the initial Starfleet notice. If you continue on to the next article it expounds upon the situation behind her supposed death_._"

He stepped forward and indicated several other articles I had primarily missed.

"In fact I have no reason to believe that she is anyone but who she claims to be. You see Doctor, Kira Watson was kidnapped when she was seven. Her family had been stationed on an outpost to protect several small colonies located on the planet Edaris due to a recent rash of threats against them."

During his explanation Spock had walked around to my side of the desk and opened up a star chart of the Beta Quadrant indicating the planets location.

To be perfectly frank, I didn't give a damn about where Edaris was.

_That pointy eared hobgoblin can be so long winded sometimes! _

"Spock, get to the point already!" I snipped testily; I was a little unnerved by this story.

_She was just a kid._ I scowled at the PADD in front of me reading the report while Spock continued his explanation.

"The point is… Kira Watson was kidnapped from her home 18 years ago, and according to all the details, by the very smugglers we have detained in our brig. They continued to search for the smugglers for the typical allotment of seven years, but when the authorities were unable to find any trace of her they ceased the investigation and she was declared dead shortly after. More importantly, this verifies her identity, and will make a convincing argument in her favor at the trial."

"Brilliant! Have you told Jim yet?"

"The captain was the first person I informed. It was under his recommendation that I inform you as well."

This was good news. Jim had been worrying about the trial since he had learned about it. Of course, Sylar and his men deserved to be punished, but Kira would also be considered and accomplice. Even though she helped us escape, there was no guarantee that Starfleet would let her off the hook for aiding the criminals.

However, this changed everything. They took her as a child; it was far more likely for Starfleet to over look the offenses of a little girl forced into slavery.

I examined the picture again. Sure enough, I could see little bits of the adult Kira in her face. The baby fat was gone, and she was obviously taller and perhaps overly slender from lack of nutrition.

However, the smile was foreign; that wide full-faced smile with a spark of mischief in the eyes. I had never seen a smile that had even remotely seemed authentic.

_I wonder if she would ever be able to smile like that again? I certainly couldn't blame her if she didn't._

"What about her family?"

"Lieutenant Watson left Starfleet not long after the investigation was withdrawn. He and his wife are currently residing in Texas. In fact, Captain Kirk is trying to contact them and make arrangements to meet with us when we arrive back on Earth."

I nodded in agreement. Jim acted like a half-wit playboy most of the time, but he occasionally had his thoughtful moments.

_That's his thoughtfulness quota for the year._

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door- it was Nurse Chapel.

"Doctor McCoy, we have a patient here. I've done all the preliminaries and I was wondering if you were free to examine him?"

"Yeah. I'll be right out."

I stood up and stretched a bit, pushing my chair out of the way with my legs. Turning to Spock before heading out I asked, "Has anyone told her yet?"

He shifted his weight a bit, and if I didn't know any better I'd say he looked a mite uncomfortable.

"I was going to request that you explain things to her. You are more familiar to her and considering the emotional nature of the news it would be best for it to come from someone she knows."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "if you say so."

He took his PADD back as I handed it too him and looked back at me impassively.

I rolled my eyes, "I'll handle it."

"Thank you, Doctor." And with a nod of his head he strode back out of my office.

"Emotionless elf." I muttered quietly to myself after he had gone.

Grabbing my own PADD I made a note to meet up with Kira later, shaking my head at Spock's antics all the while.

_Back to work McCoy._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

---Kira---

As soon as the door had closed behind him, I promptly ignored the Doctor's "suggestion" of more bed rest and went to my closet instead.

I was never very good about following orders and I had often found myself on the receiving end of some rather nasty beatings as a kid. A forgotten task here and there, or perhaps a "misunderstanding" of an order- I would often take orders as literally as possible out of spite.

Sylar can be called many things, but not a fool. Deliberate or not I was punished for my acts of defiance, and it taught me to choose my battles. However, the years at the complex took their toll. I am well aware that my resolve has weakened as I have grown older; now more often than not I would simply grit my teeth and bare it.

Yet there is still bitterness underneath each compliance, and an unspeakable joy behind each failure. What better way to get revenge than messing things up for someone?

It was a habit that proved no different here than at the complex, and though I liked the people here and I didn't want to hurt them I still couldn't completely contain my excitement as I deliberately disobeyed- getting changed for the day rather than heading back to bed.

Hissing through my teeth, I contorted my sore body to maneuver into some more fitting clothes- a black long sleeve top and some pants. It was technically a uniform for civilian men to wear, but there was no way I was going to wear the women's version.

It took quite a bit of convincing to get Scotty to agree, and in the end I was still sent away with one women's uniform.

_Where it will remain at the back of the dresser never to be seen again if I have any say in the matter._

Sitting down on the bed I tentatively slipped into some black boots. After which, I turned to the nightstand and grabbed the brush I had been issued; however, I ended up doing a double take as I noticed something new carefully placed next to the light.

"It's my laptop!" I said aloud to myself, delighted. It was comforting to have it back, like seeing an old friend.

Flipping it open, I busied myself playing with it for a moment- checking to ensure each system was still functioning properly. Satisfied that it was both intact and working properly I opened up one of the music files I had collected over the years.

Having to work with the ships Sylar stolen I noticed that most ships had music files stashed on some hard drive or another and the knowledge had given me ample opportunity to create quite a collection.

As the music softly filled the room, a soothing otherworldly song, I eased myself back onto the cushy mattress and let myself relax just a bit.

"One of these days I'm going to wake up from this dream."

I dozed lazily in a dreamlike state for a while, but before I could completely fall asleep there was a ring at the door.

"You can come in, Scotty." I called out, assuming it was him coming to take me on a tour of the ship as promised.

I wasn't disappointed when the door slid open revealing Mr. Scott's tall form.

"Are you ready to go, Lass?"

"Yeah," I answered, but my attempt to sit up turned out to be a rather pathetic sight as I ended up flopping down in the exact same spot as I was before.

"I think I might need a little boost." I smiled sheepishly at him.

I took his hand as he reached out to me. "Thank you."

"Anything for a lady."

"What?" He asked at the face I had made- my nose wrinkled and eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I've certainly never been called a lady before." I looked at him ruefully. "I think you might have the wrong girl."

"Oh trust me, a Scotsman knows a lady when he sees one." He winked at me.

I snorted at him in disbelief; however, a smile tugged at my lips.

"If you say so," I responded, shaking my head at him.

He moved toward the door and with a bow and flourish of his hand he motioned toward the door.

"Are you ready to go, my lady." He awaited my answer with a large mischievous grin smeared across his face like a Cheshire cat.

My lips pursed a bit, holding back a small grin, and headed out the door.

_I was born ready!_

I'm pretty sure I looked like a tourist as I followed Scotty around the ship wide eyed and mouth gaping.

Sure I had been on ships before, but most of them were either shuttle craft or small junk ships that Sylar would have me dismantle for parts. I had never seen a ship so immense, let alone be given a grand tour of all the intricate details that kept a vessel like this running.

Scotty was a very thorough guide, especially when showing me around engineering (his projects were impressive to say the least), and later in the afternoon we could be found wandering down the hallways.

As we talked he would point down one hallway or another and tell me of the _lesser_ attractions with a promise of "some other time."

However, there was one corridor that was passed by without a word or glance from him. I paused and looked back, "where does that one lead?"

"Ah. You'll not be wantin' to go down there, Lass."

"Oh?" I tilted my head to the side with a grin and looked at him curiously. "Well, now I have to know. You can't go around being all mysterious."

He frowned a little and shook his head.

"What is it?"

"That there leads to the brig."

For a moment I was frozen to the spot as I stared at the long corridor that now seemed to loom in front of me. Yet, it only took a moment for me to know what I needed to do.

Scotty tried to turn me away and lead me back on course for our tour. "Over this way…"

"I want to see."

I could swear his jaw almost hit the floor at my request. He stared at me agape for a moment before sputtering out a response.

"W-Why would you want to do that? Honestly, I'd thought you'd want to stay as far away from that man as possible."

"Scotty, it's not like I want to stop in for a friendly visit! I just…"

I was grasping for words to explain how I felt. To be perfectly frank, I didn't even know exactly why I felt so compelled to go. All I really knew is that I didn't want to be afraid anymore. I had to confront him again- one last time.

"I just want to be the one looking through the bars for once."

"Well… Technically there aren't any bars." He was stalling.

"It's the same thing."

Somehow I managed to convince Scotty to take me down to the brig, but by the time we reached the end of the corridor my confidence had faltered and I felt about two inches tall. My heart was pounding in my chest, nevertheless, when the doors slid open I took a deep breath and stepped into the room with all the composure I could muster.

The first thing that struck me as I entered the room was how much cleaner it was compared to the rankness of the caves. Of course, everything was cleaner here, but the cell block had been deliberately left filthy.

Everyone was accounted for; I recognized each of their faces. They were crowded into several different cells, and I could see the soft blue glow of the energy field that kept them securely on the other side of the door.

Scotty went to greet the guard on duty and probably explain what the mad woman was up to, but he kept a close eye on me. Whether it was to make sure I didn't hurt myself, or to make sure I didn't try to help them I couldn't say.

He needn't have worried. They were criminals and I held no love for them. For the first time in a very long time things were finally starting to look up; I wasn't about to jeopardize that- no matter how scared I was of him.

There was quite a lot of jeering and curses thrown at me as I walked towards the cells, but they all seemed rather muffled as I honed in on the one person I had come to see- Sylar.

He was separate from the others, perhaps to prevent him from becoming an instigator; their caution was wise. Sylar was dangerous all on his own. If there was one thing I had learned over the years was that he was not to be underestimated.

He sat on the bench across from the door as if he owned it, leaning back against the wall with one foot propped up on the bench the other dangling over the side. His head was propped up on his hand with his elbow resting on his knee, and he looked for all the world like he was simply bored and not the imprisoned criminal mastermind that he was.

I stopped, a little too timidly for my taste, in front of his cell and we stared at each other for a while.

"I just came to see if they were treating you properly." I made a point to look around the room. "They are on the right track, but you deserve so much worse."

His eyebrows furrowed. "You only have the confidence to say such things from behind an energy field."

"You're right," I admitted. "… In part... But, you see, actually I'm in front of the energy field for once."

I held my head a little higher. "I kind of like the view from here. I think I'll make it a habit to stay on this side. In fact, the only thing that could possibly make it any better would be when I am finally rid of you."

In a flash he was right before me, almost nose to nose with me at the energy field. The sound of his fist pounding against the wall made me flinch.

"Is that what you think?" He sneered at me. "Do you honestly think you will be rid of me?"

He spoke menacingly with a large sadistic grin on his face. "Every day you have spent under my _care_ I have shaped your very being. You may be rid of my physical presence, but with every recoiled touch, every nightmare, every memory I will be right the beside you as if I had never left."

He backed up a couple of steps, satisfied that he had made his point. "You will _never_ be rid of me."

Suddenly my anger overshadowed any fear I had been feeling. I saw red as my emotions practically exploded from within me and I snapped.

"Of all the arrogant, pig headed, conceited things to say! You may have ruined my life up to this point, but I'm not broken! Memories fade, Sylar. The bad ones are no exception, and I _swear_ to you that from this point on I will live the happiest life that anyone could ever live, and one day I will be so damn happy that there won't be any more room for the likes of you."

"And yet… you're trembling," he mocked.

"One day, that will fade too." And with that said, I turned to Scotty and finally let him usher me out of the room.

After the door had closed behind us I staggered back a bit and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. Scotty, as if half expecting it, waited patiently for me to regain my composure.

When I had caught my breath he spoke, "I was right about you."

"What?"

"You are a lady, and yet you insist otherwise." He was smiling.

I chucked a bit, relieved at the lightness of the conversation compared to moments ago.

"Because I'm not."

"Only a real lady could stand up to someone she was afraid of like that."

" You think so?" I closed my eyes briefly trying to hold back the tears.

"I know so!"

"Thank you." I said it softly and more than a little embarrassed. For once I wasn't a slave or a thief, I wasn't a hacker or any other awful thing, I was a human being, and it occurred to me that I actually had a life to look forward to. I had no idea where things were going from here, but the only place left to go was up.

"Now, how about I show you where to get some food?"

I nodded at him. "That sounds… _really_ good."

**Yay, a little bit of closure for Kira. It's not over yet. There is still getting back to Earth and the trial and such, but still…**

**Sorry it took so long to write this one. I have been writing at work because things have been so slow during the summer, but now the work is starting to pick up again. I'm going to get things out as fast as I can. Thanks for reading! **

**Please review!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

---Bones---

Exiting Kira's quarters for the second time that day I marched over to the nearest console decidedly pissed. She wasn't in her room. I had told her to stay put and rest and she just runs off.

"Probably traipsing about the ship till she passes out," I grumbled aloud to myself.

I barked orders at the computer to pinpoint her location. One thing is for sure, it's a good thing computers don't have feelings because I certainly would have offended it.

"Women! Do they ever listen to common sense?" I seethed as I marched down the hallways towards the Stargazer deck muttering to myself the entire way. "… should have just let Spock tell her."

The Stargazer deck was a popular eating spot for a lot of the crew. It had a long window that covered the entire wall so that you could look out at the stars while you ate.

I hated it.

For me it was just a reminder of how close I was to the vacuum of space and having my innards sucked in tighter than a milkshake through a straw.

By the time I marched in it was late afternoon and the deck was mostly empty, with only a few tables occupied. It didn't take long for me to hone in on my target.

Kira was sitting at a small table over by the windows. She was accompanied by Scotty, whom I could only assume brought her here after his promised tour, and Chekov.

Scotty and Chekov were currently having a rather animated discussion. If I had to hazard a guess they were probably having a heated debate on which alcohol was better- Scotch or Vodka.

They were.

She sat leaning against the table head propped in her hand. We made eye contact and much to my chagrin she looked amused at my vexation, and she taunted me about it as I approached.

"I know that face. You're angry with me." She tossed out coolly.

"Damn right I'm angry with you!" I growled back at her.

"You know," she explained. "I've been told if you keep making faces like that it'll stick that way."

I heard a whisper of "Too Late" and my disapproving stare moved on to glower down at Chekov for a moment.

"I thought I told you to rest."

"It seemed like more of a suggestion to me."

"I'm a doctor. I don't make suggestions!"

"Well… you could send me back to my room if it would make you feel better, but I have no intention of staying there. I feel fine!"

"I could always confine you to a room in sickbay if you are going to be stubborn about it."

"You could… and I'm willing to bet that I could have the door hacked open in less than 15 minutes. Then what?"

I wasn't quite sure where she was going with this, but it was starting to wear on my patience- not that I had much of it to begin with.

"Maybe I'll just have to have you restrained then!"

"So you're going to strap me to the bed? That's just kinky."

My anger was immediately replaced by shock. I'm pretty sure my jaw was literally hanging open as I stared at her at the implications. I wasn't the only one surprised as the rest of the table had gone quiet as well. Scotty, however, sat there grinning like an idiot.

"What?" She looked around the table even more amused at our reactions. "Why are you so surprised? Did I strike you as naïve? I've lived with a bunch of men all my life… well there was one woman, but I'd hardly call her a role model. They certainly weren't quiet about their…um, how should I say it... conquests. In fact I think they deliberately did it to make me uncomfortable."

"So now you've made it your life's goal to try and make others uncomfortable?" I raised my eyebrow at her in question.

"Not really. I'm pretty sure you are one of the first people I have ever managed to make uncomfortable."

She speared a piece of broccoli off of her plate and chewed it consideringly before responding. "However, I am starting to see the sport in it."

At this point Chekov and Scotty burst out laughing.

I swear I could feel a vein twitching on my forehead, but I ignored them in lieu of knocking them unconscious. Instead I decided to confront the problem at hand.

"You need to go and rest. That's an order."

She took a sip of her drink. "To be honest, Doctor, I rather doubt that you have it in you to do what it takes to stop me."

The look she gave me then was somewhere between angry and challenging. If she meant that I wasn't about to beat her and lock her up in the brig then she was right. I don't think she considered that I had something else in my arsenal, and I think I was just ticked off enough to use it.

"Oh really?" I pulled a sedative out of the small kit attached to my belt and loaded it into the mechanism.

The smile fell from her face and she had jumped to her feet in an instant.

"What are you…? OUCH!" I gave her the hypospray before she could even finish her sentence or run for that matter.

"What the hell?" I caught her as she fell; saving her from the nasty new bruise that would have resulted had she hit the floor.

Flinging her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes I acknowledged the group before leaving.

"Excuse me gentlemen, but my _patient_, needs to go to sickbay."

As I left I could hear Scotty exclaim, "I _really_ like this ship!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

---Kira---

I was cold and groggy- my eyes fought me as I tried to open them. Even the air smelled cold and it had that sterile tang hanging about it.

"Feel rested?" I heard a familiar Southern drawl mocking me from a distance.

"Not really."

"Well if you had gone to bed by yourself like I asked then you would have. I have no pity."

"Sadist." I heard him chuckle as I muttered under my breath.

I rolled over off of my back and curled up on my side, refusing to comment further. I could hear the soft chiming of the computer keys and the whispered rustling of his clothes as he worked on the far side of the room. Sick bay was surprisingly quiet, and it prompted me check the view screen across from me; it was 2 in the morning.

"What are you doing here so late anyways? You don't normally work nights unless there is an emergency." I asked the wall, still refusing to turn and look at him.

I heard him issue a distracted hum.

After waiting in silence for a while I finally rolled over to lie on my other side. He was sitting at a desk staring at the monitor in front of him unmoving. "Why?"

"Why, what?" His eyes met mine for a moment before focusing on the screen once more.

"Why are you here?"

"I've got a mess of paperwork a mile long. I'm just catching up, is all."

"Liar." I looked at him in askance. "Since when do you give a flying flip about paperwork? Shouldn't you be… I don't know… getting some sleep?"

"Sleep?" I could see the light from the monitor illuminate the smirk on his face. "Never heard of it."

"Mmm hmm," I hummed back at him incredulously. "Why am I here again?"

"Oh yes," He drawled. "You are here because I'm supposed to explain to you what is going to happen once we reach Earth, though I may have gotten side tracked by your blatant insubordination earlier."

Any notion of a smart aleck remark fled from me at that point. My muscles tensed in apprehension of the news to come. I had been dreading this moment for a little over a week now, and I had been spending most of my time trying to avoid thinking about what would become of me upon reaching our destination.

I lay quietly, unable to voice my anxieties by asking the one question I was dying to know…

_What is going to happen to me?_

Fortunately, he didn't force me to ask and continued on unaware of my turmoil.

"I'm supposed to inform you that Spock has been working on your defense for the trial, and things seem to be looking up. He even managed to locate your parents. Arrangements are being made to meet with them when we land."

" M- my parents?"

"Yes! They should be meeting up with us at the Academy to testify at your trial. Isn't that great?"

He was sporting a beautiful wide smile as broke t he news; one that, in most cases, would give me a warm fluttery feeling. His words, however, washed over me like a bucket of icy water keeping the butterflies at bay.

"Oh!" I forced a convincing smile on my face. "That's wonderful."

He got up from his place at the desk and walked to my biobed."You should probably head to your quarters for now; be sure to get some real rest, you are going to need it. Also, we dock in the morning, so you need to be packed and ready to go by 0900 hours."

I sat up, trying to keep the panic from my voice. "I thought we weren't supposed to arrive for another week?"

"Yeah, well there has been a change in plans. Starfleet's bumped up the trial date, and we've been ordered back ASAP."

I sputtered a little, "but… this morning? Like… as in this morning ? Or tomorrow morning?

It was then that he glanced towards a nearby view screen and laughed, "Yeah. I guess it would be this morning. I hadn't realized it had gotten so late… all the more reason for you to shove off. Now scooch!"

He shooed me out of sick bay with a smile and a saucy wink, "Remember… 0900 hours. Don't oversleep this time."

"Oh, I won't."

The doors to sickbay whooshed close behind him as he walked back inside. I stood there for a moment, staring emptily at the doors before me.

_My parents?_

I'm not quite sure why the thought of meeting them filled me with such dread, but it did.

I stood there a while longer before forcing myself to head back to my quarters. "Come on feet. Let's get a move on."

It wasn't a lie when I promised Bones that I wouldn't oversleep. I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. Instead, here I was, sitting on my bunk just staring down at the little duffle bag full of my clothes. I held my laptop in my lap- running my fingers over the soft zip up covering that Nyota had given me to protect it- you know… just in case.

Another wave of anxiety washed over me and I hugged the laptop to me tightly.

_Give me hardware any day._ I thought to myself.

Hardware was simple- I understood it. I could program it to do anything and never had to worry about emotions and things to complicate it. People are a whole other matter. People are complicated and unpredictable- here one day and gone the next.

_Can I really trust these people?_

My mind rebelled at the thought of going through with all of this. Common sense warned me to get out while I still could. I should just leave them all before they came to their senses and left me first.

_It would be better that way._

The thought of running, however, made my heart ache like a hand was grasping at my heart and squeezing. I didn't want to run anymore, and I was tired of hurting.

"It doesn't matter anyway," I reprimanded myself aloud. "You'll show up for the trial, you'll be found guilty and they'll cart you off to prison with Sylar and his goons."

Despite all of Jim's placations I didn't expect this trial to go well at all. I had done horrible things. I helped Sylar raid and ransack countless ships, and I had watched, like a coward, in the corner as he murdered innocents without a second thought; all of this just to save my own miserable hide.

I may have talked big to Sylar yesterday afternoon, but the true of the matter was that I deserved to be locked up just as much as he did.

_I am pathetic._

My dark thoughts were interrupted by Chekov's voice over the intercom announcing our arrival and asking everyone to prepare to disembark. It was 9 o'clock on the dot; I had sat there for almost seven hours… it felt like only several minutes.

Holding tightly to my laptop I grabbed the small duffle bag and swung it over my free arm. Turning in the doorway as I was leaving, I tried to memorize every detail of the little room that had been my quarters. It wasn't much to look at, but it had been a home of sorts- if only for a little while.

I took a deep shuddering breath in an attempt to quiet the pounding of my heart, and with a final fleeting glance I turned away and headed down the hallway throwing on a mask of indifference and steeling my heart, repeating a mantra over and over in my head as I moved down the now crowded corridor.

_You must not cry. You cannot cry. You will not cry…_

**Sorry for taking so long. I've been having the hardest time trying to write this chapter. I know where I generally want to go with the story, but getting there has been a chore. That and I've just started grad school, so between work and homework things have been crazy. I'll try to keep up.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

-Kira-

"Oh no! I am not wearing that!"

"I'm sorry Kira, but it's a regulation uniform, and you have to be dressed to impress and on your best behavior today." I held the red cadet uniform at arm's length and stared at it with distrust.

"I'm not even a part of Starfleet! Why do I have to wear this thing?"

The young woman let out a soft sigh at my protests. "Do you have anything better to wear?"

"Well, no … but…"

"Then you don't really have much of a choice. It certainly won't help your case if you show up in a men's uniform; one glance and they'd have you written off as a rebel. That's something you don't want."

"But it's so… short!"

She chuckled at bit at my outburst. "Oh, it's not so bad. Oh! I almost forgot!" She rifled through her bad and tossed a small object at me.

"You're going to want to shave your legs while you are at it."

I looked down at the little razor in my hand and then back up at her incredulously. "You have _got_ to be kidding me…"

"Trust me. It will make people stare at your legs less."

…_Or at least with less negative attention,_ she added silently to herself, and proceeded to shove me into the bathroom. "Hop to it!"

Nyota Uhura was certainly unlike any other woman I had ever met. Not that I had too many examples to go by.

Somehow she had found me slack jawed and gaping in the middle of the crowded shuttle bay; I'm not quite sure how. Apparently, Jim had asked her to look out for me and help prepare me for the upcoming trail. I have to admit, while my pride first balked at the idea of Jim appointing a baby sitter for me, I'm glad he did. Otherwise I may have been still standing in the shuttle bay completely clueless.

For the past hour since we landed she had been giving me pointers on some etiquette protocols. She had even found a new uniform for me- I may have been a bit too rough with the uniform Scotty gave me. I had just shoved it straight into my duffle bag and it was wrinkled beyond a prayer, there just wasn't enough time to have it pressed.

After changing in the small bathroom I picked up the razor hesitantly. I had never shaved my legs in my entire life… and I would never have thought to do so if Nyota hadn't mentioned it.

"I can handle this," I encouraged myself. "I mean, how hard can it be?"

…

Apparently it can be very hard. The first thing I managed to do was cut myself.

"Ouch!"

I could hear Nyota's concerned voice filter through the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"Oh yeah." Trying again produced the same results. "Just dicing myself into ribbons. No big deal."

After a breath of silence I heard a "Are you decent?"

I looked down at the bane of my existence that was my skirt. "…As I'll ever be."

She came in unabashed and managed to procure a rag and some shaving cream and handed them to me. "Lather up! I'm going to teach you how to shave properly, and I promise that once you master it you'll never go back to unshaven legs again. Trust me!" She smiled a disarming smile.

"I trust you... but I'm not sure that I believe you."

She just smiled.

I may have been dubious before, however I have to admit that there is something nice to be said about clean shaven legs. I didn't really get to enjoy the feeling for very long though before awkwardness settled in.

Nyota had abandoned me about a half an hour earlier to go report to the captain, and had left me in the care of Commander Spock. I tugged at the hem of my skirt nervously. I'll admit that he was somewhat of an imposing figure, and I didn't really know much about him. Jim had introduced us in passing and I hadn't seen him since.

The room was quiet, and Mr. Spock didn't seem to have any inclination to break the silence anytime soon. He just sat quietly reviewing some notes on his PADD.

Finally, before I couldn't stand the silence anymore, the doors whooshed open and Jim can swaggering in with a loud greeting of "Hey!" It caught me so off guard that I was on my feet and at attention in seconds.

Jim laughed… hard.

"At ease, Soldier! This isn't a court martial!" He managed between his howls of laughter.

"No. It's a criminal trial. That's _much_ better," I deadpanned sarcastically.

"Relax," he smiled. "You look great by the way! The skirt is sexy!"

Reflexively I tugged the hem of the skirt down (not that it helped in the least) and then proceeded to fiddle nervously with the hem of the top.

"Great. That's what we are going for…" I tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Right! So, everyone else is already waiting in the conference room. Let's get this show on the road!" He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and ushered me out of the waiting room throwing a "Ready, Spock?" over his shoulder.

I heard him reply in a matter-of-fact tone, "Of course, Captain."

_Oh! It speaks after all._

This was particularly a good thing because Jim was just telling me about how Spock was going to defend me.

"Spock's the best man for the job," he assured me. "He'll logic them to death… or bore them to death… either one is good!"

"Oh."

The room was a sea of red and gray uniforms that filled almost every seat in the room. I examined the crowd for familiar faces as Jim lead me to our places in the front row- which had been left open for us.

I already recognized a few faces from the Enterprise. I could see Nyota, Chekov, Bones and Scotty right away; they were talking amongst themselves as they waited for the proceeding to begin. Scotty noticed me first and smiled widely at me.

He nudged Bones and motioned in my direction. Soon all four of them were looking in my direction and smiling reassuringly. I smiled back weakly as I sat down in the seat Jim directed me to.

Bones, who was in the chair behind me leaned forward, "You look worse than I do when I have to get in those damn shuttles." He winked at me.

I managed a real smile this time. "That sounds about right."

"Cheer up, Lass. This will all be over in a jiffy."

I just hummed in affirmation.

There were a few other faces in the crowd that I recognized from the ship; I saw Nurse Chapel In the middle of the throng, a few officers that I had spoken with on the Stargazer deck or seen about in passing. Everyone else seemed like an undecipherable mob.

There were two other people who caught my attention, though not because I had seen them on the ship. The woman had caught my eye first, most likely because she was the only one there in civilian clothes, that and she met my gaze and stared me directly in the eyes. It was a bit unnerving.

She was of an average height with long reddish hair and a friendly face, and she was clutching desperately to the hand of the man beside her- who was also looking my way. He was tall and imposing in his crisp grey uniform and his grey-streaked brown hair was combed back out of his face. There was something niggling at the back of my mind as I looked at them, but I didn't have time to address the issue because they were getting started.

To be honest, things went very fast once the trial began and everything got a little blurry. I suppose all that really mattered at this point was Spock's collected and organized presentation of the facts.

Sometimes I even wondered if they were really discussing me because the person Spock was talking about sounded something closer to a Saint or something. When I mentioned it to Jim later he said something along the line of me being overly critical.

The trial was moving right along, and the next thing I know I was being called forward. Jim practically had to throw me from my seat, and Spock gestured to my spot.

I was in the center of the floor, 15 daunting officials in front of me, high on the platform, who knows how many people behind me, and _every_ eye was trained on me. I felt about 2 inches tall. This was the most attention I had ever had in all my life. Somehow, I was beginning to miss the old days where nobody gave a crap. I could sit unnoticed, mind my own business and mess with computers all day long.

"Kira Watson. You have been charged with aiding and abetting criminals and piracy among other offences and have been called forward to speak on your behalf. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I stood gaping.

_What the Hell am I supposed to say?_

"I didn't want to help them." I replied rather lamely.

"Then why did you? There is always a choice." My accuser sat in the very center of all of the judges before me and he gazed down at my impassively.

I fiddled a bit with the hem of my top nervously and took a calming breath.

"I suppose that's technically true, but from what I know of people, most of them would not consider death a very valid choice. I hardly think it's fair to expect a 7-year-old to think any differently."

"Fair enough," he conceded. "However, you are no longer a child Ms. Watson. Things have changed, haven't they?"

"Does growing up with someone who terrifies you make them any less frightening when you get older?" I paused. "The answer is no."

"Then why did you do it? If you saw no other valid choice but to work with these criminals why after all these years would you decide to stick your neck out and help these men?" He gestured back towards Jim, Bones, and Scotty.

Of course they would ask that question. The very one I had been asking myself from the beginning. _Why them, why now?_ I wasn't even sure myself and here I was trying to explain it to a jury of Starfleet officials.

With my gaze firmly locked on the floor I shrugged slightly while shaking my head, and with a pained chuckle I answered, "Insanity?"

"This isn't a joke, Ms. Watson. An insanity plea is not generally a good defense when explaining why you performed a good deed." His mouth was turned down in a deep set frown as he stared me down from over his podium. By this time I was almost beyond caring about what he thought of me. Nothing I could say would be the right thing, every word was under scrutiny and doubt.

"Isn't though? What person in their right mind would do such a thing? If I had kept my head down like I was supposed to I would have been safe… relatively speaking. "

I was well beyond caring by this point and before I knew it I was babbling loudly.

"If I had left them there then Sylar would have taken care of them and I wouldn't have been beaten within an inch of my life! I wouldn't have to relive every horrible thing I've been forced to do in my entire life, and I wouldn't be forced to stand here begging for my life from a bunch of condescending, pompous windbags who stare down from their podiums pretending like they can even remotely understand all the crap I've been through!"

The fabric at the hem of my shirt was now wrinkled beyond belief from the abuse of my anxious driven hands, however the wrinkly red fabric started to blend with the carpet in front of me and everything had become blurry during my tirade.

_Damn it. I'm crying…_

I wiped angrily at my eyes and threw out one final protest, "and I wouldn't have to wear this damn stupid skirt!"

The room was deathly silent. All I could here was the pounding of my heart in my ears and the sound of my labored breathing. After a few calming breaths, I hazarded a glance upwards.

For the first time since I had been asked to step forward not all eyes were on me. In fact, none of the judges made eye contact with me at all.

I decided to continue explaining myself before they came to their senses and stopped me, but as my mouth opened to speak nothing came out except a constricted little squeak.

I swallowed nervously and tried again.

"…I was… scared… I was only seven years old when they took me, and I was… so scared. I tried so hard to get away. I really did! I hacked the lock in the storage room they trapped me in and once I even managed to fix up an old escape pod… but it was never enough..."

At this point my whole body was shivering, almost as if I was freezing cold even in the temperate room, and I clasped my hands together in a rather lame attempt to stop their shaking.

"Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was tired, and I didn't want to… hurt anymore, and if I just did as they asked… I didn't have to."

Finally, I found the courage to look into their eyes.

"I've done horrible things; things that I am not proud of. I'm not asking you to forgive me because I can't even forgive myself…. but I am asking for mercy. The Kira Watson you are looking for, the one you think you see when you look at me… that little girl died a long time ago. I've spent the past 18 years just existing, not really living, and for the first time in a very long time I feel like I can breathe again. I just… I just want to breathe freely again…"

No one said a word, and I stood there stock-still with my wet red puffy face and my eyes clenched shut waiting for them to condemn me.

Instead I jumped as a hand lightly grasped my shoulder, and my eyes darted up to stare into Jim's friendly blue eyes. He was smiling sympathetically at me.

I looked down again in embarrassment and whispered a plea. "Can I sit down now?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly and put on arm around my back, guiding me slowly back to my seat.

I sat down in my chair completely exhausted. I felt like a complete mess and I certainly looked the part too. There was some relief in knowing that I didn't have to do anything else.

All that was left was for them to decide my fate. They had all piled out of the room for the time being to confer.

A warm hand came to rest on my left shoulder, it was Bones, and I rested my cheek against it. I could smell his distinct sent and it was comforting, but at the same time it made me want to curl up and finish with a good long cry. In the end, I had to move away after a few moments to squelch the urge- I had cried enough for the moment.

The minutes stretched on like days as we all waited for the Jury's return. In actuality we only waited 15 minutes, which is a rather short time to make such a monumental decision. This was either really good, or really _really_ bad.

We all stood as they filed back to their seats.

"In hindsight" I muttered aloud to no one in particular. "I probably shouldn't have called them pompous windbags."

Jim obviously thought it was hilarious because he burst out with a loud guffaw of laughter. The officers shot him a look, and my interrogator cleared his throat as a call for silence; once Jim had regained his composure he continued.

"Kira Watson. After discussing your case, Starfleet has come to an official decision concerning your case." I held my breath.

"You have admitted guilt to all of the offenses charged against you, and therefore have been found guilty…"

I clenched my eyes closed in defeat. I could hear several shouts of indignation.

"Order!"

As the protests died down he continued.

"While you have been found guilty, we have taken into account your circumstances and Starfleet is willing to grant you clemency."

My head jerked up at this revelation and I met his eyes.

"… however, there are conditions. You must undergo a 5 year probational trial period. It has been decided that you will continue on with the Enterprise, and you will be required to submit annual self-evaluations as well as allow for evaluations from your superiors, which will be submitted to us for review. If you can keep a clean record- however hard that may be when working under such an _unconventional_ captain- and prove your integrity in this matter then you will be absolved of your crimes. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" I beamed.

"Then you are dismissed."

And then I was surrounded with hugs and cheers! Above the noise I yelled to Jim, "I can't believe you actually pulled it off."

He just grinned at me. "Of course I did! I'm James Tiberius Kirk!"

I just laughed.

**Phew! That was a long one! Alright folks, now that we gotten so much drama out of the way I'm working on actually putting more of that romance stuff I promised in there. **

**Please review! It's always encouraging to hear from you guys! Let me know what you liked… or disliked. **

**Thanks for reading! **


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